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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832910">Letter from Byleth</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eisneRiegan/pseuds/eisneRiegan'>eisneRiegan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:40:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832910</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eisneRiegan/pseuds/eisneRiegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Claude received an unexpected letter from Byleth.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Letter from Byleth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I may or may have not consumed so much sugar and caffeine to come up with this</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He knows he's a lucky man to have met her after a long time.</p><p>For twenty-six years he's been alive, that one chance meeting with her changed his life. He have to thank Hilda for that.</p><p>If that pink haired woman didn't introduce Byleth Eisner, his now girlfriend of five years, Claude von Riegan would probably have gone on being single.</p><p>There's nothing wrong with being single, actually.</p><p>He actually liked being single.</p><p>He can do whatever he likes. </p><p>Go wherever he likes.</p><p>Dress up, feel good about himself and treat himself to something because why not?</p><p>The only people he needs to tell where he's going (if he's going to be gone for a long time) are his parents.</p><p>He's content with being by himself.</p><p>No responsibility of another person's needs, may it be physical or emotional.</p><p>He thought the "contentment and complete life" his uncles and aunts kept telling him is going to be found in his pet bearded dragon.</p><p>Yeah, some people adopt dogs or cats, even birds. But there's something with the exotic animal that endears to him.</p><p>He plans to get another one too. He had recently seen a rare zero morph bearded dragon in a reptile expo.</p><p>He fell in love with it, and he's looking for a breeder to get one (because the one at the expo isn't for sale). </p><p>And honestly, the first time he and Byleth got introduced to one another, both thought it won't work at all.</p><p>Their first impressions wasn't exactly a hate on first sight. More like, 'doubt at first sight'.</p><p>She's older than him, and looks serious about life. Like one of those no-nonsense women who is just out there making everyone else's life miserable because of their rigid lifestyle. One look and it's obvious that she cares more about her career compared to anything else.</p><p>Claude has a hunch that it's going to be quite a boring and too serious relationship that he might as well just throw himself back into their college lectures with one of their most boring professor in campus.</p><p>He's too cheerful for her, probably because of the age difference (it's not that big of an age gap, just three years) and has that air around him that screams "FLIRT". Byleth is not out there for a casual fling, to which Claude exudes aura of.</p><p>She didn't want to judge him that hard, but Byleth didn't want to have any kind of connections to people like him who seem like he had never taken anything serious in his life.</p><p>The two of them still gave it a try, a month trial of dating, just for Hilda's sake since she won't stop moping (and guilt tripping them at every chance she can get) and found that they complement each other.</p><p>Their first impressions of one another were totally wrong.</p><p>Where Claude is a careful planner when it comes to dates, Byleth is the spontaneous one and Claude ends up with gifts she bought because "I saw it and thought of you".</p><p>Claude always thought he's relaxed and just having fun with his life, but Byleth showed him that he's actually stressed out. She helped him out to slow down and have actual fun, like baking together or just lounging about and doing nothing.</p><p>Or totally demolishing the other in a competitive game of their choosing.</p><p>Though, like in any relationship, they also have their arguments.</p><p>Claude gets annoyed when Byleth is too carefree, and not taking things seriously.</p><p>Byleth gets annoyed when Claude plans a trip and it has a rigid schedule of where to go and what to do.</p><p>Claude gets irrationally jealous when Byleth is being too kind and friendly to others, that some of them thought she's flirting with them.</p><p>Byleth never voiced out her own jealousy when Claude gets friendly with other women, passing it off as "part of his charm". She did, however, give him the cold shoulder whenever that happens.</p><p>When both of their heightened emotions clash, both thought that it's the end of their love story.</p><p>But they get over it.</p><p>They talked it out after a fight.</p><p>Gaining understanding of one another and deepening their bond.</p><p>And before they know it, five years have passed. They're both happy with their relationship, no matter if their start was a bit shaky at first.</p><p>People are still surprised that they're not yet married. By the way they act in public functions when they're together, they look like puzzle pieces that finally found the right place to be in.</p><p>Claude already have plans on proposing to his girlfriend though, and he's stringing Hilda along.</p><p>On Byleth's birthday, a month from now, he's going to bring her to the top of the line Hresvelg restaurant. It's hard to get a reserved table there, but thanks to Hilda who pulled some strings, he managed to secure the most romantic view the place can offer.</p><p>As for today, Claude plans on buying the perfect ring for her.</p><p>He'll do a half day at work and proceed to do the shopping.</p><p>He had just sat down at his desk when his secretary came in with a letter in hand.</p><p>"Miss Byleth dropped by last night." she said as she handed over the envelope. "But you already left. She  told me to give this to you."</p><p>Claude raised an eyebrow at that as he took the letter and dismissed her. Turning it around his hands, it's one of those cute bear stationery set she probably bought ages ago and only put it to use just now.</p><p>He opened it, taking the washi tape with bear design off carefully.</p><p>Taking the letter out, he's greeted with Byleth's pretty handwriting.</p><p>It seems like a short letter.</p><p>Maybe it's just another one of her little quirks.</p><p>She often does that. Once, she made a cute crocheted deer keychain. Which is clipped to his bag. He often get comments about it, mostly positive about having an endearingly soft side.</p><p>She also gave him a small jar of cute little folded stars that when he opens them, there's a cute message in it. It's like her own hand-made and personalised fortune cookie.</p><p>Five years, and he's still finding new things about her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Dear Claude,</em>
</p><p>
  <em> I know it's highly unusual for me to write to you like this when I could have just said personally what I have written here. I actually tried many times to tell you, but every time I do, my voice is never there. And so this letter came to be.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> I want to tell you how thankful and grateful I am to have met you. Before you, I thought I'm not worthy enough to be loved again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> For the past five years, you have been my constant confidant, my best friend and my partner-in-crime. Just talking with you or being with you, makes me feel better when I am down. I couldn't ask for more. You are everything I had hoped for in a partner.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> You are that first bright star in the sky that I always look for when nighttime comes, that same first star that brings me joy whenever I see it twinkling and looking over at me.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> You are that gentle breeze that touches me ever so slightly, caressing my cheeks gently and holding me in its embrace as I walk my path in this life with you. Your love inspires me to do my best in all aspects of life.</em>
</p><p>
  <em> I hope to see more of your smiles, hear more of your voice and laughter. And one day, share our lives together until we are wrinkly and old.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I am glad that I have you in my life.</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>My heart belongs to you always,</em><br/>
<em>Byleth</em>
</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Claude." Hilda said as she entered his office casually then stopped dead on her tracks as she stared at him. "Uh, Claude? Are you okay? Why do you look like you've melted into your chair?"</p><p>Claude blinked, looking up at her with a stupid, abashed smile on his lips. He cleared his throat, sitting up properly and trying to look as professional as he entered the office building before but failing miserably as his smile only got bigger the more he looks at Byleth's closing remarks on the letter.</p><p>"I...ah...well. Just received a letter from By." He said, his smile getting wider that his cheeks are starting to hurt.</p><p>His face is warm too.</p><p>"Ooh~? A loveletter?" Hilda inquired as she skipped towards his table and tried to reach for it. "Let me see."</p><p>Claude gently whacked her hand as he moved the letter away from her grasp.</p><p>"She wrote it for me. Go get a boyfriend who loves to write loveletters." He said as he folded it and tucked it gently back into the envelope. "And while we're at it. Call up the Hresvelg restaurant. I'm moving the proposal tonight."</p><p>"Tonight?" Hilda stared at him in surprise. "Really? But you haven't found the perfect ring for her."</p><p>Claude slipped Byleth's letter into his bag as he stood up, preparing to leave.</p><p>"Yes, that's why I am leaving now and go shop for it."</p><p>"But what about work? You just got in."</p><p>"Work can wait. My proposal can't." He gently patted her shoulder as he walked past her. "I'm counting on you for that Hresvelg reservation."</p><p>He stopped for a moment, then turned back to look at her. "And try to see if you can contact By's workplace to clear out her schedule. I know they're fond of giving last minute works to her."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I tried to be cheesy</p></blockquote></div></div>
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